prosaic

adjective

pro·sa·ic | \ prō-ˈzā-ik

Definition of prosaic

1a : characteristic of prose as distinguished from poetry : factual

b : dull, unimaginative prosaic advice

2 : everyday, ordinary heroic characters wasted in prosaic lives — Kirkus Reviews

Other Words from prosaic Synonyms & Antonyms Prosaic Has Literary Origins More Example Sentences Learn More about prosaic

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Prosaic Has Literary Origins

In the 1600s, any text that was not poetic was prosaic. Back then, "prosaic" carried no negative connotations; it simply indicated that a written work was made up of prose. That sense clearly owes much to the meaning of the word's Latin ancestor prosa, which meant "prose." By the end of the 17th century, though, poetry had come to be viewed as the more beautiful, imaginative, and emotional type of writing, and prose was relegated to the status of mundane and plain-Jane. As a result, English speakers started using "prosaic" to refer to anything considered matter-of-fact or ordinary, and they gradually transformed it into a synonym for "colorless," "drab," "lifeless," and "lackluster."

Examples of prosaic in a Sentence

For the most part, the descriptions of the books listed in the "Catalog," though informative, are relentlessly prosaic, even hackneyed. — Mordecai Richler, New York Times Book Review, 8 Oct. 1989 In addition to the prosaic essentials of life—wheat, rice, and salt—the Portuguese found exotic stores of pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and other spices. — Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983 There is, of course, an ordinary medicine, an everyday medicine, humdrum, prosaic, a medicine for stubbed toes, quinsies, bunions, and boils … — Oliver Sacks, Awakenings, 1973 … where did he get his money? He had to eat and drink, buy apparatus and chemicals, even pay the poor rate. Where did he get the common coin to meet such unavoidable if prosaic obligations? — Flann O'Brien, The Dalkey Archive, 1964 He has a prosaic writing style. the prosaic life of a hardworking farmer She believes the noises are made by ghosts, but I think there's a more prosaic explanation.

Recent Examples on the Web

But something as prosaic as a chicken sandwich can still bring us together — in our quest for something that satisfies, in our common desires. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "The Internet flipped out over Popeyes’ chicken sandwich. There’s more here than just a great sandwich," 26 Aug. 2019 Still, even these prosaic worries can be surprisingly subtle, and they are not entirely divorced from the overarching questions of physics. — George Musser, Scientific American, "The Search for Truth in Physics," 25 Aug. 2019 Against the image of the millennial left, and of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Buttigieg appears to be a more prosaic political character. — The New Yorker, "Sunday Reading: The Democratic Presidential Front-Runners," 11 Aug. 2019 Andrew Jackson’s habit of cursing was revealed through much more prosaic means: The president, the story goes, kept a pet parrot who had picked up the obscenities of its owner along the way. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, "The Currency of Profanity," 9 Aug. 2019 Dedmon is the more prosaic variety, though useful all the same. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "NBA Free Agency 2019: Top 50 Players Available," 24 June 2019 The target market is gallery owners who need inventory financing and wealthy collectors without private banking services who might want to indulge themselves with more art — or have more prosaic concerns. — Los Angeles Times, "How the rich get spending money: Locking fine art in storage and borrowing against it," 1 Aug. 2019 The site has 60 million items for sale at any given time, from prosaic goods like oven mitts and coasters to oddities such as clothes for dogs—like the sweater CEO Josh Silverman recently bought. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, "How Etsy Crafted an E-Commerce Comeback," 25 July 2019 More Stories The gaps between the original’s ebullience and the comparatively prosaic remake are most obvious in the new film’s early musical scenes. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "The Uncanny Fun of the Live-Action Lion King," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prosaic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for prosaic

prosaic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of prosaic

formal : dull or ordinary

See the full definition for prosaic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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prosaic

Definition of prosaic

Other Words from prosaic

Synonyms & Antonyms for prosaic

Prosaic Has Literary Origins

Examples of prosaic in a Sentence

First Known Use of prosaic

History and Etymology for prosaic

English Language Learners Definition of prosaic

prosaic

Definition of prosaic

Other Words from prosaic

Synonyms & Antonyms for prosaic

Prosaic Has Literary Origins

Examples of prosaic in a Sentence

First Known Use of prosaic

History and Etymology for prosaic

English Language Learners Definition of prosaic

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